The Christmas Quilt
by RK9
Summary: Set in the Footprints on the Heart AU series I started, for CSI: NY. A Christmas fic, where Stella makes Danny a special present... and the whole family ends up getting involved.


**Disclaimer: **I don't own CSI: NY or its characters, but I do own this AU. The poem is not mine, it was written by Marian Spain.

**Author's notes: **This is in the same universe as my Criminal Minds Footprints on the Heart AU, which can be found in my profile. I actually started the founding fic for the CSI: NY version of this AU, which would have explained how little Danny and Lindsay came to be in the care of Mac and Stella, but anyway, I will explain some of that in this fic… the bunny bit for me to write this, and I'm far from done with the other fic so maybe I will go back and work on that one later. I will try and make it so this fic is self-explanatory, so you will not need to have read the other fic in order to understand this one.

This fic is based on the Magnificent 7 Little Britches AU and features Danny and Lindsay as children in the care of Mac Taylor and Stella Bonasera. There is no slash or adult situations in this story. The Smacked portrayed in here is meant to be friendship and only friendship, but if you can handle the relationship on the show every week, you should be able to withstand this. ^.^ Unless the show makes Smacked canon, I will not write Smackedlove in here… but there'll be lots of Smacked friendship and that great chemistry and dynamic we see every week…

This is an open AU, so feel free to join in and write stories of your own in this universe. All I ask is that you follow the rules for this universe and let me know, so I can link to it.

If you don't like the flavor of the tea, please don't spoil the pot for others.

**Extra notes: **I am not an expert in the quilting process, but this was inspired by my mother, who loves smocking and sewing and knitting and such. She once made me a quilt when I was a child, and more recently she made herself another quilt, following instructions from a quilting magazine and working diligently on it – quite amazing, considering that she can easily get distracted, and once took ten years to complete a set of curtains for my aunt, lol. She finished it a couple of years back, and she uses it even now… though her quilt had no patterns, just colorful squares, some padding, and she used cloth to finish off the edges so that there was a border as well. I am basing the quilt in this story on the one she made. :) I hope you enjoy it, even though the founding fic isn't yet complete… This was **unbetaed**.

* * *

**The Christmas Quilt**

Five-year-old Lindsay Monroe hung over the edge of Stella's armchair, peering curiously at the funny stuff that her foster mother had in her lap. There was a box of needles, a pincushion stuck full of pins, all sorts of papers with funny-looking patterns and designs, padding, part of an old quilt, and a bag beside her on the floor stuffed to the brim with scraps of colorful cloth in all shapes and sizes. Lindsay stared uncertainly at the cloth, then slid down carefully to the carpet and crept forward to pick up one of the scraps from the bag. It was red and felt really soft.

"Stella?" she asked, glancing up at the woman, who looked up from her quilting magazine and smiled.

"Don't play with my cloth, Lindsay," she chided gently, removing the red piece from Lindsay's chubby grip and placing it back in the bag. "Some of them still have pins in them, and I don't want you pricking your fingers."

Lindsay nodded solemnly. "'Kay," she shrugged, "But Stella, what's it all _for_?" She turned another puzzled, inquisitive glance to the bag, reaching out a cautious finger to feel for pins this time. Stella chuckled, gently smacking away the nosey fingers. Lindsay was always wanting to learn more about everything, and incredibly intelligent for her age. Turning the magazine so the five-year-old could see the cover, she explained, "Danny's blanket has been looking a little threadbare recently, so I thought I'd try my hand at sewing him a patchwork quilt. I've done it before, but it was a long time ago, so I'm reading through my old magazines and trying to remember how to start. If I can do this, it'll make him a great Christmas present, so you have to promise that you won't tell him anything." She winked at the little girl and put a finger to her mouth. "Shh, okay?"

Delighted at the idea that she and Stella would be sharing a secret, Lindsay nodded and beamed. Then, she frowned as a thought occurred to her.

"Can I tell Dad?"

Stella's smile turned gentle. The five-year-old had only recently begun using that word to refer to the man who was her foster father: Mac Taylor, Stella's boss and friend. Mac had been stunned the first time he heard it, and now, as Lindsay warmed to the idea and used it more and more, well, he was just over the moon. No one had ever expected a tiny four-year-old to fill the Claire-sized gap in Mac Taylor's heart… but it had happened, and Stella paused as she considered something…

Then she realized that Lindsay was waiting for an answer, and quickly she said, "Well, if he promises not to tell Danny, Linds, I don't see why not."

The child smiled, satisfied. She didn't like keeping secrets from Mac, having a very honest nature even at her tender age. But this was a good secret, and what was more, it looked like fun. Climbing carefully onto Stella's lap, she asked, "Can I help?"

Pressing a kiss to the girl's soft, brownish-blonde hair, Stella smiled. "Of course you may. Then it'll be a real family project, won't it?"

* * *

"_A family is like a Patchwork Quilt  
Each member is a piece of the total design.  
They fit together as the pattern is built  
With each newborn addition that is added in time."_

_--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
_

Tongue poking out as she focused, Lindsay sat by herself at her little worktable and focused on threading the needle Stella had given her. The little girl was actually sewing her own square for the quilt – under Stella's supervision, of course.

"Okay... put that here," Stella directed, as Lindsay beamed and raised the needle for her to check. The little girl obeyed, the tongue once again making its appearance as she pushed the needle through the cloth, and with some help, managed to make her first stitch.

"I did it!"

Chuckling, Stella figured if they were gonna celebrate over every stitch, they would finish Lindsay's chosen picture sometime next year. Lindsay and she had pored over every design in the shop, and in the end, Lindsay had settled on a baseball, and Stella had just been glad it was a simple pattern sew, especially with one of those stitch-on ready-made cloth images.

"'Cause Danny likes baseball," the five-year-old had said matter-of-factly.

Stella remembered Danny's first Little League game, when he had joined his school team. He'd been so excited, so nervous, and the day before try-outs he had begged Mac and Flack to teach him to 'play real good'. Neither man was particularly adept at the game – Flack especially being more of a basketball man. But for the excited six-year-old, they'd tried their best, correcting his stance and pitching and the way he held the bat. Stella smirked a little, remembering when Danny's first attempt with the little plastic bat had connected with a rather sensitive part of Flack's anatomy. The cop had turned an interesting shade of purple and Hawkes, who had come over as well, had nearly bust a gut laughing... until he'd seen how mortified and confused Danny was. The boy had been certain he was going to prison for "'salting a p'lice officer", and it had taken some reassurance from all of them before he was convinced that it had just been an accident, and all he had to do was be careful not to do it again.

Flack had warned them all that if he received any gag gifts under the tree that year, there would be hell to pay.

"Stella?" Lindsay looked up curiously at her. "Am I doing it right?"

Stifling her smiles, Stella looked down and nodded. The sew-on baseball image she had bought at a DIY store was a little lop-sided, but it was being sewn on with sincerity and love, and it was round anyway, so who knew which side was supposed to be on top? Bending to kiss Lindsay, she assured the child, "It's perfect, sweetie."

Still uncertain, Lindsay hesitated. "You think Danny will like it?"

Stella pulled the little girl into a quick hug. "Danny will love it, because it's from his little sister, and he loves you. He might not always show it, but he's proud to be a big brother now."

Lindsay smiled. Finally, she took up the needle again and began another stitch.

It hadn't always been that way between them though...

* * *

"_Yeah! Again, Unca Don! Again!"_

_Seven-year-old Danny Messer's entire little body shook with enthusiastic giggles as he was flipped quickly and dangled upside down by the ankles, one of Detective Don Flack's arms wrapped securely around his waist so the boy was in no danger of falling. The room looked funny from his current vantage point, but the little boy didn't care. Grabbing playfully at Uncle Don's ankles, he tickled… who knew Uncle Don had a tickle-spot on his ankle?_

_Uncle Don yelped and Danny giggled again as he found himself falling, tumbling onto the couch and landing on Mac's lap. The crime lab supervisor raised an eyebrow at the lanky detective, who smiled sheepishly and rubbed at his ankle one last time before straightening. _

"_Lucky you were there to break his fall, eh, Mac?"_

"_Me next?" The tiny four-year-old who had been sitting on the couch looked hopefully up at Flack, eyes big and wide and brown. "Please, Detective Flack?"_

_Flack grinned. "Well, sure, sweetheart, you next." _

_Mac frowned at him. Holding up his hands, he promised, "I won't drop her, Mac." And he scooped Lindsay up quickly, causing the little girl to break into delighted giggles as he swung her around in the air._

_Only Stella noted Danny's jealous frown. _

_That was _his_ Uncle Don, and apparently he didn't care to share him. He'd had a similar frown on his face when Lindsay had been sitting next to Mac. Stella sighed inside. Danny was going to have a difficult time learning to share his new family, whom he had just gotten comfortable with. When his mother, Stella's best friend Delainey Marcos-Messer, had been killed, Stella had taken Danny in, and the long and short of it was that she had decided to become Danny's foster mother. The two of them had bonded through a tragedy that had linked their lives, and since then, they had created their own little family, with Mac and Flack, Sheldon Hawkes and some others._

_Now Mac had found Lindsay, saved her life even, and darn if he wasn't going down the same paths Stella had found herself walking with Danny. In her heart, Stella had a feeling that this little girl was going to stay, and if she did, her friend would need her help and support, the way he had once helped and supported her. _

_Danny quiet-stomped his way over to her, wrapping his arms around her waist in near-sulky silence. The boy was clearly upset. Stella hugged him back, glancing down and seeing the sheen of tears starting in the blue eyes._

"_Hey, kiddo," she said gently. "How about we go have some milk and cookies in the kitchen, and have a chat?"_

_For a few minutes, there was no reaction, but she knew Danny had heard her. Eventually the boy breathed a giant sigh… and nodded._

"'_Kay," he mumbled, and she patted his little back as she turned to lead him away._

_Stella had the snacks ready quickly, and Danny moped at his seat, playing with an Oreo between his fingers. Stella tapped him warningly and he nodded, looking guiltily at her as he dunked it in his milk then began to eat._

_Making herself comfortable across from him, Stella began, "So… you gonna tell me why you hate Lindsay so much?"_

_Danny's head jerked up, blue eyes wide behind his glasses. "I don't!" he protested. "She's jus' a little kid. And she needs Mac. He's taking care of her."_

"_But I saw the way you were looking at her," Stella said calmly, taking a sip of coffee. "You sure didn't look like you like her."_

_Danny peeled apart an Oreo, frowning. "I…maybe I don't. But I don't hate her. I jus' wish…" Sneaking a glance at Stella from beneath his lashes, he continued, "I kinda wish I had Uncle Don and Mac just by themselves again. You know, to spend time with me and not her."_

_Stella sighed in relief. She'd been right. Danny was jealous, and wanted his uncle's and Mac's attention again. Thank God that was all it was. Well, he'd had two years with Mac and Flack already. Lindsay had only been rescued by Mac a week ago… Goodness, had it really already been a week?_

_Meeting Danny's eyes, Stella smiled encouragingly and said, "Kiddo, I think you're going to have to learn to share your family with someone else again, the way you did back when it was you and your Mommy and Daddy and Louie. You've been an only child, so to speak, since Louie went to stay with your cousins, the Sassones, and it's normal to feel that you want us all to yourself."_

_Danny glared at the tabletop. "Mac said Lindsay's not staying forever," he mumbled, and she couldn't tell if he was ignoring her words or had missed most of her point. "Can I only share you guys with her until then?"_

_Chuckling, Stella reached out to ruffle his hair. "Sure, sweetie." But in her heart, she was already planning how to handle it when Danny found out that maybe Lindsay's stay with them wasn't going to be quite so temporary…_

_-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
_

_(A few months later)_

_Mac looked up tiredly from his report, frowning questioningly at Stella as she beckoned him urgently from the doorway of his home office. _

"_You need to see this," was all she would say, with an impatient flick of her finger. Sighing, Mac saved his work and headed over to follow her out into the hall, towards the childrens' rooms. Concern quickly replaced his fatigue – was something wrong with the kids?_

"_Don't tell me they're fighting again," he said with a sigh. _

_Danny was still adjusting to having a sibling again, and this time he was the older brother instead of the baby, and he wasn't even sure he that wanted a "little sister" in the first place. He liked the part where it meant that Mac stayed with them now... but the fact that Lindsay had come with him was something he wasn't yet happy with. Mac understood that he simply had to be patient; Lindsay was a great kid and Danny would eventually warm up to her – but for now he was just jealous, and that meant fights, because the boy didn't know how else to express his displeasure at having her here, getting all the attention and love. He didn't _want_ to share what was 'his' with her either: not Mac, not Stella or his Uncles Don and Sheldon, or his toys or room or home. Not unless Mac and Stella made him, and even then it was like pulling teeth. This was sibling rivalry to the max... Danny didn't do things halfway._

_But Lindsay, for her part, seemed to understand that the older boy was going through. She didn't play with him much, and when she did and he reacted she simply got up and went elsewhere until he calmed down. She spent a lot of time with Mac, Stella too, and when Mac asked if she was okay with Danny's behaviour, she showed surprising insight. _

"_He needs to learn how to be a big brother, and I needa learn how to be a little sister," she said simply, snuggling up to Mac. "And we all gotta figure out how to be family." _

_For a five-year-old, Lindsay was a smart kid. However, she was still five, and sometimes Danny would hit a nerve, one that she couldn't ignore - and then the fur would fly. _

_Stella put a finger to her lips and gently pushed the door to the children's' room open a crack. She was grinning, so Mac figured it couldn't be too bad. Stepping forward, he peeked in… and saw that Danny's bed was empty. Alarmed, he scanned the rest of the room, searching for Lindsay, only calming when he saw an unnaturally large lump on Lindsay's bed on the other side. Both children were there, Danny slumped against the wall, and Lindsay curled up beside him. _

_The nightlight by Lindsay's bed was only just bright enough to show that the little girl had been crying, and her cheeks seemed flushed, stained with tear tracks. Stella tapped him on the shoulder from behind. _

"_You get yours, and I'll get mine?" she suggested softly, and Mac nodded, easing his way past the door. Gently easing Lindsay off Danny, he smiled as the boy's arms tightened around her protectively for a moment before he woke up. _

"_Easy, Danny," he warned softly, lifting Lindsay the rest of the way. "It's just me."_

"_Gotcha," Stella said cheerfully, picking up the boy, who blinked. _

"_Lindsay's sick," he mumbled, but Mac could already feel the little girl's fever through his shirt._

"_Rain this afternoon must have been a bit nastier than we realized," Stella murmured to Mac over Danny's head, and he nodded. Both children had left their rain gear at home, so a sudden downpour that afternoon had had them both having to run through the drizzle with Mac, first from the school to the car, then from the car to the house. The kids had seemed fine... until now. _

"_Thanks, Danny," he said to the little boy, who sighed. _

"_She was crying for her momma," he said, sleepily. "I know what that's like."_

_Stella hugged him a little tighter – yes, he did, he knew what it was like to lose your mother at a very young age. He hugged back, and let her tuck him back into his own bed. Glancing back at Mac, she smiled. Mac understood._

_It looked like things were going to be all right from here on out. Cradling the little girl in his arms, he went in search of some children's Tylenol, feeling a bit lighter in his heart about a lot of things._

_-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
_

"_Each shape and color in the quilt is there  
To add some interest and form.  
Each person in the family is where  
With God's design, they daily belong."_

_-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
_

The door opened just as Flack and Mac came in, stomping snow off their boots and hanging up their coats.

"Hey there, ladies," Flack greeted them, and Lindsay instantly dropped what she was doing to run over to him. Flack swung her into the air and spun her around, then tossed her to the waiting Mac for a tight father-daughter hug. Lindsay giggled and pointed at Stella, who obligingly held up the mostly-completed square for the men to see.

"What's that, Lindsay?" Mac asked his daughter gently, and she grinned.

"I made it," she announced. "Stella helped me. We's making it for Danny, for Christmas. I show you, Dad," she said, wriggling down from Mac's hold and taking him by the hand to pull him towards her table. Stella chuckled at the look on Mac's face as 'that word' was used. Lindsay took the quilt square and held it up for Mac to inspect, which he and Flack did with appropriate thoroughness.

"A baseball, huh?" Flack said. "Well.. this is very well done. You sew this all by yourself?"

"Uh-huh." Lindsay nodded eagerly. "Uncle Don, you can make a square too! It's for Danny, and Stella said it could be a family project! You too, Dad!" she turned to a startled Mac Taylor. "Please? Danny will like it lots if it's from all of us."

"Uh, Lindsay... Sewing is girl's stuff," Flack tried not to grimace. "Mac and I can't be -"

"It's Stella's present, Linds," Mac tried to explain simultaneously. "If she allowed you to sew, that's one thing, but you need her permission for me and Flack to –"

Stella frowned, crossing her arms. "Guys, I don't mind if..."

"But Stella," Flack's voice was almost a whine. "You can't ask a couple of guys to sew! That's just wrong! Plus I already have a present for the kid all picked out!"

"Donald Flack Jr..."

Lindsay tugged on Stella's arm. "It's okay, Stella." She looked up at her foster mother. "Mama used to say that Christmas gifts should oughta come from th' heart. If Uncle Don and Dad don't wanna do it, then we shouldn't make 'em."

For a long moment, three adults just stared down at the surprisingly wise five-year-old. Lindsay's mother had taught her a lot of things which the five-year-old retained even now, and it was strange to hear the wisdom of a woman they had never met coming from a little girl's mouth. Stella bent and hugged Lindsay, while Mac and Flack glanced at each other.

"Well..." Mac began.

"I reckon it wouldn't hurt Danny to get one gift from me and another from his whole family," Flack finished. "Linds, you'll help me pick out a pattern at the DIY or sewing store or whatever, right?"

Lindsay smiled shyly. "If you really want me to, Uncle Don."

Flack patted her gently on the head. "Oh, don't worry, munchkin. I'm sure."

* * *

"_Just as the patchwork needs loving and care  
And mending when ends are frayed.  
So the family ties may need repair  
With forgiveness and apologies made."_

_------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
_

"No! Danny, don't! Danny! I'm gonna tell!"

"I didn't do nothing! I just wanna see!"

"Daaaad! Stella!"

"I just wanna - hey!"

There was a loud thump, and then a loud wail sounded, splitting off into a burst of broken-hearted sobbing.

Mac and Stella both got up from their seats in the living room in a hurry, heading to Stella's room where the crying was coming from. The instant the adults entered, both children ran to their respective parent for comfort and hugs. Glomming onto Mac, Lindsay choked out between sobs, "He looked at it! He p-p-peeked! He promised Stella he wouldn't and then he did! And now it's ruined! He ruined Christmas!"

Danny looked shaken, clinging to Stella. "I dunno why she's crying, Stella. I just... all the kids in school said they were gonna try and peek at their Christmas presents, and I saw it there and I was gonna just look, and Lindsay shoved me and I..." he stopped, looking horrified. "I... I pushed her back! I'm sorry, Lindsay, I didn't mean ta push you!"

"You were s'posed to look!" the five-year-old cried back tearfully. "Now you know what Stella got you and it won't be no surprise and... (hiccup, sniffle)... you ruined everything! You shoulda stopped when I told you not to look!

Danny's eyes filled with tears, but being the tough little eight-year-old that he was, he refused to cry, simply scrubbing at his eyes with the back of his hand. Stella pulled him close and hugged him comfortingly, even as her gaze met Mac's over the children's heads.

Mac gently settled Lindsay on the bed. "Okay... I think we all need to calm down and talk this through," he said calmly. Stella nodded and echoed his actions, placing Danny next to Lindsay.

"But Dad -"

"But Mac -"

"Uh-uh..." He held up a hand. "Now, we're each gonna get our chance to speak, and there will be no interruptions, all right?" He waited for both little heads to nod before continuing. "Okay. Youngest first. Lindsay, why do you think Danny has ruined Christmas?"

Lindsay sniffled. Tears were still leaking from her eyes, and she wiped at the snot as she spoke.

"'Cause he peeked," she said miserably, and Mac sent Danny a warning glance as the little boy opened his mouth to protest. "Now he knows, and he ruined the s'prise. And Christmas won't be any fun 'cause Danny won't have any fun. Mama said that's why you shouldn't try and find out what you got before Christmas. It spoils the fun of not knowing 'till you open it."

"Oh, sweetie," Stella said softly, reaching out to grab a tissue from her nightstand and mop up the child's face. It was always rough on Lindsay when she remembered her mother.

"Is it my turn?" asked Danny, watching Lindsay with a strange expression on his face. Mac raised an eyebrow and nodded.

"I didn't ruin Christmas for you, Montana, just me," he said, using the nickname that he'd given her early on when Lindsay had just joined their family. "And I don't think Christmas is ruined for me 'cause I don't know what Uncle Don and everyone else got me. I only saw the cloth, but I dunno what it is yet – some sort of blanket?" He looked at Stella questioningly and got a sigh and a nod.

"It's a quilt," she explained gently. "Lindsay, Mac, Uncle Don and I were working on it together for you. It was going to be a present from the whole family... and before you ask, it isn't the only present you're going to get this year, don't worry," she added as the eight-year-old looked slightly worried. "You did, however, promise me that you wouldn't peek and it disappoints me more that you didn't keep your promise than it does that you saw what you were getting. As I see it, you're right that you ruined your own Christmas, but it affects the rest of us who were going to surprise you with the gift too."

Mac sat on the bed and tugged both children onto his lap. "Guys, the way I see it, Lindsay is upset because now your gift isn't as 'special' anymore, and you won't have as much fun on Christmas Day when you open your gifts. But Lindsay – don't you think Danny will still be surprised? You see, he knows what he's getting but he has no idea about the meaning behind the pattern that we were going to explain to him on the day. And he will have other Christmases and other gifts to enjoy. And Danny, you are right that you ruined your own Christmas and chose to do so by yourself, and you will still have fun, but you broke a promise to Stella and so I believe you owe her an apology for that at least. You remember what I told you?"

"'A man shows his character by how well he keeps his word'... I know," whispered Danny, hanging his head slightly. "I'm sorry."

"Don't tell me that," chided Mac.

Danny turned to Stella, and threw himself at her for a hug. "I'm sorry, Stella. I won't break no promises again... I promise."

Stella hugged the small warm body to herself and smiled. "I forgive you, kiddo. No more peeking at Christmas gifts either, okay? You have to respect the person who gave it to you, even if you're worried about getting something you won't really like. Let them surprise you."

Danny sighed. "Not even if the other kids are doing it?"

"If the other kids ran onto the street in front of a speeding car, would you do it?" Stella shot back. The eight-year-old was smart enough to get the point, and he did.

"Okay," he said, with another exaggerated sigh. "I won't do that again either."

"Good man," Mac said, approvingly, and Stella bussed a kiss off Danny's nose that made him cry out indignantly and rub at his face. Lindsay sniffled and clung tighter to Mac, but she wasn't crying anymore either, just watching her family quietly. Mac turned his attention to his little girl and poked her gently.

"You okay, buffalo girl?" he asked softly, using his special nickname for the little girl. Lindsay turned her face into his T-shirt and sighed.

"I still wish Danny hadn't peeked," she mumbled.

"Well, it's done now," said Mac gently. "It wasn't your fault, and Danny didn't mean any harm by it – it's something kids do sometimes when they're curious and can't wait. I know I tried to find out what my parents got me for Christmas when I was a boy. I stopped when I was older, because I found out on my own it was much nicer to be surprised. It's not a big deal, and he didn't ruin Christmas."

"Yeah, sweetie," Stella leaned over and reached over to pat Lindsay on the back. "Nothing can ever spoil Christmas unless you let it, Linds. Christmas isn't about presents, you know. It's about family and giving."

"And the birth of God's son, Jesus," Danny piped up, having heard the Christmas story from his mother, and now Stella every year. "Jesus is the reason for the season."

The adults smiled, and Lindsay nodded solemnly. "Giving and peace and love and family. That's what Mama said Christmas was about too." She looked at Danny and finally smiled, a shy little curve of her lips. "And she told me about baby Jesus too."

"Speaking of the Christmas story..." Mac smiled as he reached for the children's Bible that Stella kept for use every year or when they needed it. "Isn't it time that we read that again? Maybe we should remind ourselves of the true meaning of Christmas."

"About the greatest gift the world ever received," Stella said softly. She smiled as Mac handed her the book, moving to settle back against her pillows with both children. "All right. Let's start..."

"Wait!" Danny looked at Lindsay seriously. "I almost forgot. Lindsay, I'm sorry that I pushed you and didn't listen to you. You were just trying to help."

Lindsay smiled. "I'm sorry I pushed you too and yelled at you."

Stella grinned as the children hugged each other over the Bible. It seemed appropriate somehow. Clearing her throat, she waited for both little bodies to snuggle up beside her again before finding the start of the story and reading the first line.

From the doorway, Mac stood and listened, transported back to a different time. Never before since losing Claire had he felt so happy and content. Gaze falling on the little girl who had healed the ache in his heart, he couldn't help but smile. Then there was the little boy who had brought happiness to his best friend, and who was now like a son to him. And finally, there was his best friend herself.

His family. Who needed presents when he had everything he needed right here?

'_It's beginning to feel a lot like Christmas,' _Mac hummed to himself as the words of the song floated through his head. _'Yes, indeed.'_

_------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
_

"_When a patch is worn out and must be replaced  
A new piece of cloth can be sewn in its space.  
But loved ones are so precious, each one so unique,  
They're priceless heirlooms we all want to keep.  
They can't be forgotten, our memories of them never end.  
They're in our hearts forever, we always call them friend."_

_--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
_

"Stella!" The little blonde came flying into the room, looking upset. "Danny's in your sewing stuff! He's gonna see the quilt again!"

Turning to catch Lindsay before she slipped on the newly mopped floor, Stella smiled. "It's okay, sweetie. I told him it was okay. When I'm done with the housework we're both gonna help him work on one square for himself, all right?"

Lindsay turned surprised brown eyes on Stella. "Danny's helping to make his own Christmas present?"

"Well... we talked, and decided that since it is supposed to be a family project.... I'll get him something else for Christmas, and this can be something we're all doing as a family. Danny wants to make part of his quilt by himself," Stella tried to explain. "I told him that would be okay. I'll just have to figure out something else to get for him..."

"Stella?" Danny came into the kitchen, stopping at the doorway when he realized the floor was wet. Pushing his glasses up on his nose, he held up the square to show her. "Is this okay?"

Stella studied the cloth, which had a brown puppy half-stitched on in a corner of the square. That left the rest of the square looking pretty empty, which in turn made it look rather odd. She frowned a little. "Er, Danny, why not put the puppy in the centre?"

Danny shook his head, his expression becoming a little apprehensive at the thought that he might not be allowed to sew what he wanted. "No... I gotta have space for this kitty picture and this baby cow." He held up two more little easy-stitch patterns that they'd bought earlier, one of a black cat and another of a little black and white cow. "The puppy is for me, and the cow is for Lindsay, 'cause she's from Montana..." he grinned as his little sister frowned at him, but sobered as he finished, almost in a whisper, "And the kitten is for Aiden, 'cause she liked cats."

Stella instantly knew she couldn't say that he was over-filling the square with all those pictures. Aiden Burn had used to live across the street from them with her grandmother Mrs Recillos, who now babysat Danny and Lindsay while Stella and Mac were in work. Aiden's parents had been in the middle of a messy divorce and custody battle over who got custody of Aiden and her brothers, and in the end, just before they'd found Lindsay, Aiden's mother had gotten custody of her and her youngest brother while the rest of the boys went to stay with their dad. Danny had missed her very much. Mrs Recillos had been his caretaker then too, and he and Aiden had become good friends. Other than the occasional e-mail though, he never really saw her anymore, as she lived in another part of the city. It was part of the reason why he'd had such problems adjusting to Lindsay's presence, and now... it was really a sign of his inner state of being, that he wanted a square of his quilt to be just for him and his two 'sisters' of the heart.

Lindsay, who also knew how much Danny missed Aiden, wisely kept silent, stepping carefully over the wet floor towards her brother. Studying the pictures and the sewing, she merely said, "I think he did it right, Stella."

Swallowing a lump in her throat at the innocent, unintended double-entendre, Stella nodded. "Yeah, Linds, he's doing it just fine."

* * *

"_Though quilts are like our families, they're made by human hands.  
Their colors fade, their fabric tears, they lose their great demand.  
But families live forever, throughout time, across sea and land  
For they are made by God alone through His eternal perfect plan."_

_---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
_

In the end, it was well-worth the blood, sweat and tears, the late nights and hard work that had been put into it. When Stella brought it out for Danny on Christmas morning, all those gathered around the tree fell silent and stopped what they were doing to stare at it. A shining expanse of colorful cloth, it was soft and cuddly, warm and durable – everything a quilt should be, at least in Stella's opinion. And most importantly, it had been made with love, by herself and other members of immediate and extended family.

She'd reinforced the shaky stitches of a five-year-old and eight-year-old, and the less-than-masterful efforts of her friends and her boss. Then she'd worked on the rest of the quilt, putting the squares together and making the padding and completing the edges with cloth to make a border that would hold the hold thing together and protect it from fraying too quickly. It would last Danny a few years yet.

"All right, everyone, gather around," she said, with a smile, as the son of her heart came forward with her foster daughter to examine his new quilt. "We're going to go round, and explain the squares we made and why we chose this picture for Danny."

Everyone nodded, and Lindsay raised her hand and begged, "Me first?"

"Sounds fine," Stella agreed, and the little cherub instantly pointed to the square with the picture of the baseball.

"I made that!" she told Danny joyfully. "It's a baseball 'cause you like baseball and one day you're gonna be a famous baseball player like them people Uncle Don watches on TV and you'll have this quilt with the baseball on it and you'll remember when you were a kid and first started playing…."

"Breathe, buffalo girl," Mac teased.

Lindsay grinned, and breathed in deeply, before backing into Mac for a hug. Danny touched the baseball with one finger, looking thoughtful… and then he smiled. "Thanks, Monta – I mean, Lindsay."

Lindsay's grin widened, and Mac lifted her into his arms, feeling her contentedly wrapping her arms around his neck, happy that Danny liked the picture she had chosen and sewn on for him.

"I'll go next," said Flack, who saw that the picture he'd chosen was beside Lindsay's. "I'm not a very deep-thinking person, but I figured… I chose the picture of a star. Because well, Danny's a star in his family's eyes, and because it was supposed to be a Christmas gift, I figured the star fit the theme." He grinned. "The other choice was a basketball, but as Lindsay said when she helped me pick a picture: 'Uncle Don! I already did a baseball!'"

Everyone laughed, and Lindsay giggled as well. Danny touched the star, eyes shining, then silently went to give his Uncle a huge hug.

"You're welcome, Danno," said Flack, his voice a little husky as emotion flooded through him.

"Mine's next," noted Mac. "Guess that means me. I chose the picture of a bear because it reminded me of Patch, Danny's teddy bear and best friend besides us." That brought a round of smiles as well, and Mac shifted Lindsay in his arms before continuing, "It also reminded me of friendship and loyalty, two traits I know are strong in our Danny. I don't know if Patch taught them to him, but well, he represents it, and I thought it would be good for Danny to have those on his quilt, to remind him about keeping those values alive in his life, even as he grows." Looking around, he finished, "It's a bit too abstract, I know."

"What's abstract?" asked Danny, but the other adults were nodding and chuckling again so no one answered him. Still, Danny thanked Mac anyway, pondering the new word and reminding himself to look it up later.

The next square was a picture of a cap, and the letters 'NYPD' had been hand-stitched onto it. Hawkes explained that one. "That one's mine. They just had the picture of the cap, which is why it's the wrong color, but I thought it would be okay. I asked Stella to sew the letters on for me herself. Danny, that square is for you to remember the past, cherish the present, and to allow you to hope for the future. You come from a family of cops on your mother's side, and your mother was a police officer herself, and that is your past. Both Mac and Stella now are in the NYPD, as are myself and your Uncle Don – we are your present. As for the future… who knows? You alone will decide who and what you want to become – but I figured you might want the cap on your quilt anyway to remind you not to give up on your dreams." He grinned. "I'd have chosen a doctor's scalpel to remind you of your Uncle Sheldon, but I figured you'd like this one more, and besides, there wasn't a stitch-on scalpel pattern, go figure."

Danny giggled, and hugged his Uncle Sheldon happily. "I wouldn't have minded if you'd done a scalpel either," the eight-year-old assured him generously.

The centre square was Danny's, displayed prominently for all to see. The adults all listened patiently as the little boy explained the dog and the cat and the little cow, and shyly smiled up at his foster mother, who explained that the next square was his Uncle Adam's.

The lab tech was perched slightly awkwardly on the sofa, a mug of Christmas punch in his hand. He flushed a little as all eyes turned to him, and cleared his throat nervously.

"Er, yeah, that was mine," he said. "Stella asked me if I'd like to do one, so I picked a picture of the Statue of Liberty." He looked at Danny, and his flush deepened. "It's one of the symbols of this city… and…you were born and raised here." He fidgeted.

He couldn't tell the little boy that it had been one of the last few stitch-on patches left in the shop. Not with all the love and thought the others had put into their selections and designs. Still, it felt like his choice paled in comparison with the others, and he hoped Danny didn't mind…

A little hand patted him gently on his knee, and he looked down to see Danny's eyes shining trustingly up at him. "Thank you, Uncle Adam," he said softly. "I like it very much."

Adam felt a lump in his throat, and almost choked. Smiling, he patted Danny's hand, feeling comforted.

"Next is my square," Stella cut in quickly, helping Adam out. "For Danny, I chose a shield. Danny," she faced the little boy. "You came into my life during a time that was very difficult for both of us. It was a very tough time, but you came through it like a champion. You're a hero in my eyes. And every hero needs a shield of honor. The ones we carry as police officers are very different… but this one will do for you, son. What do you think?"

Danny swallowed hard. "You think I'm a hero? But Mom…" He stopped, eyes widening at the word he had just used instead of calling her Stella as he always did. Glancing around at his family, he found that none of them seemed to think he'd said anything special, except Stella, who had frozen and had tears in her eyes.

"Awh!" The little boy looked nervously at Mac, then back at Stella. "I didn't mean to upset ya, Stella, I'm sorry!"

Coming to her senses, Stella quickly dropped the quilt and dropped to one knee before the boy, gripping the thin shoulders before he bolted. "Oh, Danny," she breathed gently. "That was the best present you gave me this Christmas. Thank you. Look, if you're okay with it, I'd really love for you to call me Mom, but only if you're ready."

Caught, Danny felt his little heart start to beat more rapidly, and he felt really… weird, all confused inside. He wasn't sure what he wanted, so he asked, "Can I think about it, Stella?"

Stella longed to hug the little boy, but he wasn't exactly a very 'huggy' person so she just nodded, a little disappointed but willing to wait. She couldn't force the boy to call her that until he was comfortable with it… "Of course, Danny. You take as long as you need, okay?"

"'Kay," whispered back Danny, and he hesitantly reached out of his own accord for a hug. There wasn't a dry eye in the room among the watching adults, though Lindsay looked puzzled, because she didn't really understand what was happening, and watched as Flack mumbled about having something in his eye, while the others surreptitiously wiped at their eyes with sleeves or fingers.

"Stella?" she asked, frowning slightly, and Stella pulled free of Danny and nodded.

"Yes, Lindsay?"

Glancing doubtfully at the men, Lindsay chose to ask instead about the thing that was really bothering her. "There's two more squares." She pointed out. "Who're those from?"

"Ah… that one, I asked Granny R to sew for you, Danny," Stella said, reaching out for the quilt. "She helped me with some tips for the sewing, so I asked if she wanted to do a square. Her design she sewed herself – can you see?"

"It's a heart," Danny said, and frowned. "That's a little girly…"

"Well, it was sewn for you by a girl," Stella teased, her voice still a little thick with emotion, but the little boy didn't seem to notice. "Mrs Recillos made it much more beautiful than any one you buy in a store, and all by herself. She said she made a heart because she loves you – and Lindsay too. And the last square – Danny, that is from Uncle Sid. He insisted on choosing something for you as well. It's, er, Eeyore from Winnie the Pooh."

Danny snorted, eyes bright with laughter.

"Not everything has a hidden meaning behind it," smiled Stella. "But Sid cares about you too and he wanted to be included in this project. So…"

"I'll thank him when I see him," Danny said, knowing the drill. He smiled. "Thanks, everyone."

Lindsay wriggled her way down from Mac's grasp and went to touch the quilt. They had gotten other presents of course, but somehow, she understood that this was the most valuable of the lot. She wasn't sure how, or why, but she knew it was important. Maybe because they had all made it together… as a family. She liked the thought that it was like they would all be watching over Danny as he slept at night, warming him with their love. It made sense, somehow, though her five-year-old mind wasn't yet sure how…

Turning, she looked up and met Danny's bright blue gaze, then Stella's and finally Mac's. Then one by one she studied the faces of her Uncles, and the house. The others waited, for the wisdom of a smart little five-year-old girl who usually had profound things to say.

Instead, Lindsay smiled. She _was_ still, after all, just a five-year-old.

"Stella? Can I have a quilt made for me too, next year?"

"I ain't sharing," declared Danny, grabbing up his quilt and hugging it to himself protectively.

"But that's…"

"All right," interrupted Mac quickly, scooping up Lindsay. "Time for Christmas lunch, I think."

And as the talking and laughter of the family resumed and everyone headed for the dining hall, the star winked gold on the tree… and the quilt glowed, a blaze of color beneath the sunlight where Danny had left it on the living room table. A symbol of love for and from a family that had made it through yet another year of ups and downs, sorrows and joys, good and bad times… and would look forward to many years that were yet to come and would unlikely bring more of the same.

And they would get through it just the same, because they were a family.

* * *

"_What is Christmas? It is tenderness for the past, courage for the present, hope for the future. It is a fervent wish that every cup may overflow with blessings rich and eternal, and that every path may lead to peace." – Agnes M. Pharo_

Merry Christmas to New York, its CSIs and police officers both real and fictional, and to all the fans of the show and the readers of my humble holiday fic. :) Please drop a review, and let me know what you thought.

RK9.


End file.
